by W.D. James Heroes are willing to give their lives, and in the old tales usually do, to protect their homes and loved ones. Their deaths are literally salvific. Beowulf suffering his mortal wounds acquired in destroying the dragon saves the people of his homeland. Of course, the archetype here is Jesus Christ whose death … Continue reading Death and Poetry (The Myth of Philosophy 7)
by W.D. James Socrates had a demon. Or, to avoid misunderstanding, he had a daemon, to stick to the Greek which does not have the negative connotation that the English word derived from it carries. Socrates and the divine In this series we have been tracking how Socrates, as the representative of philosophy, is portrayed … Continue reading Socrates’ Demon (The Myth of Philosophy 6)
by W.D. James From what we have learned of Socrates thus far in this essay series, it might sound odd to speak of ‘Socrates’ doctrine.’ After all, he had claimed that any wisdom he possessed was knowing that he did not know very much, if anything. Further, he insisted he was not a teacher. He … Continue reading Socrates’ Doctrine (The Myth of Philosophy 5)
by W.D. James In this series we have been exploring how in his Apology, Plato presents his mentor Socrates as a new sort of hero. Heroes fight monsters and previously we looked at who the monsters in this case were: those who subordinate truth to power. This time we’ll look at Socrates’ trial itself; the … Continue reading Combat (The Myth of Philosophy 4)
by W.D. James Philosophers have a comprehensive understanding of all aspects of existence. What they know, they always know with certainty. They are practically gods in the realm of knowledge and wisdom. Wait - none of those things are true (though philosophers often forget that). That philosophers might think and act like they were true … Continue reading Wisdom (The Myth of Philosophy 3)
by W.D. James Heroes fight monsters. The protagonist of Beowulf must defeat Grendel and then his mother who threaten the mead-hall of a Danish king. The mead-hall essentially represents homeliness and the monsters are those who threaten that. Further, monsters are unnatural; this is reflected in their physiology but also in their perverse values and … Continue reading Monsters (The Myth of Philosophy 2)
by W.D. James In 399 BC, an Athenian court condemned and then executed a stonemason who had served honorably in several of her wars. The man, like most condemned criminals throughout history, left no written record of his life and doings. His father had likewise been a stonemason and his mother a midwife. Though 70 … Continue reading Socrates as Hero (The Myth of Philosophy 1)
winter oak 